Finance and Compliance Manager

POSITION SUMMARY

Guided by World Concern’s global strategy, policies, and values, the Finance and Compliance Manager provides leadership and oversight of World Concern Laos’ financial management, accounting, grant compliance, and internal control systems. The position ensures that organizational and project resources are managed effectively, accurately, transparently, and in compliance with World Concern policies, applicable laws, donor requirements, and grant agreements.

The position provides particular leadership in grant financial management and compliance, including U.S. government-funded awards, and works closely with the Country Representative, Program Managers, project teams, and Regional Finance to strengthen financial accountability, manage risks, ensure donor compliance, and support sound organizational and programmatic decision-making.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

DUTIES

Financial Leadership and Accounting

1. Provide overall leadership and oversight of WCL’s financial and accounting operations, ensuring accurate, timely, complete, and well-documented financial transactions and records.
2. Review monthly financial statements, journal entries, account reconciliations, and other financial reports to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance with established procedures.
3. Ensure timely preparation and submission of required financial reports to the Country Director, Regional Finance, headquarters, and other relevant stakeholders.
4. Supervise, coach, and develop finance and accounting staff and ensure appropriate segregation of duties and internal controls.
5. Provide financial analysis, advice, and recommendations to the Country Representative and management team to support informed decision-making.

Grant Financial Management and Compliance

1. Provide overall financial oversight of grants and awards, ensuring expenditures are consistent with approved budgets, grant agreements, donor requirements, and World Concern policies.
2. Lead grant financial compliance for U.S. government-funded awards, ensuring appropriate application of applicable U.S. government rules, award conditions, cost principles, and financial documentation requirements.
3. Review grant expenditures to ensure costs are allowable, allocable, reasonable, adequately documented, and properly authorized.
4. Monitor grant budgets, expenditure levels, financial forecasts, reporting deadlines, and compliance requirements throughout the grant lifecycle.
5. Review donor financial reports and ensure that reported expenditures reconcile with World Concern accounting records and project financial reports.
6. Provide financial and compliance guidance during proposal development, budget preparation, budget revisions, grant implementation, and grant close-out.
7. Work closely with Program Managers and project teams to identify and resolve financial and grant compliance issues in a timely manner.

Budgeting, Forecasting and Financial Analysis

1. Lead and coordinate the annual budgeting process with program and management teams.
2. Oversee regular budget-versus-actual analysis, identify significant variances and financial risks, and recommend appropriate corrective actions.
3. Maintain accurate organizational and project cash-flow forecasts and coordinate cash requirements with Regional Finance and headquarters.
4. Develop and review financial projections and forecasts to support program planning and organizational decision-making.
5. Advise Program Managers and the Country Representative on the financial implications of project implementation, budget utilization, and proposed changes.

Compliance, Internal Controls and Risk Management

1. Ensure financial transactions and supporting documentation comply with World Concern policies, procedures, internal controls, grant agreements, and donor requirements.
2. Develop, strengthen, and monitor internal financial controls to minimize the risk of error, fraud, misuse of funds, and non-compliance.
3. Conduct or coordinate periodic financial and compliance reviews of projects and field activities and ensure timely follow-up of findings.
4. Identify and assess financial and grant compliance risks and work with management and program teams to establish appropriate corrective and preventive actions.
5. Monitor compliance with applicable local financial, tax, statutory, and regulatory requirements and advise the Country Representative on relevant actions.
6. Review and recommend improvements to financial policies, procedures, systems, and controls to strengthen operational effectiveness and compliance.

Audit and Donor Compliance

1. Coordinate and support internal and external audits, ensuring financial records and supporting documentation are complete, accurate, and available within required timelines.
2. Liaise with external auditors and coordinate responses to audit findings and management recommendations.
3. Ensure timely implementation and follow-up of corrective actions arising from audits, financial reviews, and compliance assessments.
4. Support donor financial reviews, monitoring visits, and compliance assessments and ensure timely provision of requested documentation.
5. Maintain an effective system for tracking audit findings, compliance issues, corrective actions, and donor financial reporting requirements.

Financial and Compliance Capacity Building

1. Provide training, coaching, and mentoring to finance staff and relevant program staff on financial management, grant compliance, budgeting, internal controls, and World Concern financial policies.
2. Strengthen the capacity of Program Managers and project teams to understand and comply with project budget, grant financial, and donor requirements.
3. Promote a culture of financial accountability, transparency, compliance, ethical conduct, and responsible stewardship throughout World Concern Laos.
4. Provide timely financial and compliance guidance to staff and management when policies, donor requirements, or financial risks require clarification or action.

Leadership and Organizational Support

1. Serve as a member of the Country Program management team and provide financial and compliance input into program planning, strategy, risk management, and organizational decisions.
2. Work closely with the Country Representative, Program Managers, Regional Finance, and other relevant staff to ensure strong coordination between program implementation, financial management, and compliance.
3. Maintain professional relationships with donors, auditors, government authorities, World Concern headquarters, and other relevant stakeholders on financial and compliance matters.
4. Perform other finance and compliance-related duties as assigned by the Country Representative.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

REQUIRED EDUCATION, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum 5–7 years of progressive experience in accounting and financial management, preferably with an international NGO, humanitarian, or development organization.
• Demonstrated experience in grant financial management, budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and compliance.
• Strong experience with U.S. government grants and awards, with demonstrated understanding of applicable U.S. government financial and grant compliance requirements.
• Strong knowledge of accounting principles, internal controls, financial systems, audit processes, and financial risk management.
• Demonstrated experience in budget development, budget monitoring, variance analysis, and financial forecasting.
• Experience managing and developing finance and accounting staff.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, organizational, and decision-making skills.
• High level of integrity, accountability, accuracy, transparency, and attention to detail.
• Proficiency in accounting software and Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
• Excellent written and spoken English and fluency in Lao.
• Willingness to travel periodically to project and field locations.

PREFERRED EDUCATION, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Professional accounting qualification such as CPA, ACCA, CMA, or equivalent.
• Direct experience managing USAID or other U.S. government-funded awards, including financial compliance and reporting.
• Experience with other institutional donors, including EU, UN agencies, Australian Government, and foundations.
• Experience conducting or managing grant compliance reviews, internal audits, external audits, and donor financial assessments.
• Experience developing and delivering financial management and grant compliance training to program and finance staff.
• Experience working with an international NGO in Laos or Southeast Asia.
• Knowledge of donor cost principles, indirect costs, budget modifications, financial reporting, and grant close-out requirements.